The goal of the Metabolism Training Program is to provide our graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with in-depth training in modern metabolic research. Our training environment integrates traditional areas of metabolism with the latest advances in molecular biology, cellular biology, genetics, proteomics, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Our training faculty, drawn from basic and clinical science departments of the School of Medicine, have active, grant-supported research programs and an outstanding record of training. Each trainee is admitted to the program uncommitted to an individual scientist, and selects an advisor from the training faculty after extensive interviews. The Steering Committee, chaired by the PI, manages all academic and research aspects of the Program. In particular, the Steering Committee closely monitors the matching of trainees with advisors, as well as the research and academic progress of the trainees. An extensive set of courses in metabolism has been established between the Departments of Nutrition, Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology and Biomedical Engineering. Trainees participate in a Journal Club and in monthly seminars and discussion groups in metabolic regulation. Research training ranges from the use of isotopic tracers to study whole body metabolism in humans to the construction of gene "knock-outs" to test the function of regulatory proteins on metabolic processes. Postdoctoral trainees include PhD and MD scholars with backgrounds in clinical medicine. Graduate students, drawn from a number of departments of the School of Medicine, are enrolled in the PhD or MD/PhD programs of CWRU. A high percentage of our trainees hold academic positions at US universities and medical schools. The Program is dedicated to increase the number of minority scientists. It has helped establish a Minority Scholars Program for college graduates interested in a career in the biomedical sciences. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: About one-half of the US population dies of metabolic and nutritional diseases. At present, few basic science and clinical investigators have expertise in modern techniques for investigating metabolism in health and disease. The goal of our Metabolism Training Program is to train young investigators to conduct research on metabolic diseases.